Preschool is a level of education that is intended for children aged 2-4 years, one phase right before children continue to Kindergarten level. In some schools, preschool is divided into several levels, namely: Toddler level for children aged 2-3 years and Nursery level for children aged 3-4 year.
While Montessori is an educational method that was initiated by Maria Montessori about 100 years ago. She graduated from medical school in 1869 and became the first female doctor in Italy.
The Montessori education method emphasizes that each individual must be able to educate himself. The teacher's role here is only as a guide and information provider.
Learning to Teach a la Preschool
As explained above, preschool is intended for children aged 2-4 years. The goal is to provide a structured learning environment to introduce children to the world of education before they start kindergarten. So the kids won't be surprised about what the school will look like.
However, preschool is not the same as baby care services or commonly known as daycare. In preschool, the duration of the meeting is usually only 2 hours per meeting with a frequency of approximately 3-5 days per week.
It also depends on the policies of each educational institution. Meanwhile, daycare will take longer because usually parents have to work in the morning and come back to pick up in the afternoon after returning from work. Preschool is often also referred to as PAUD (Early Childhood Education).
Learn to Teach a la Montessori
Actually Montessori is not much different from the regular school system. The teaching-learning process still involves the roles of students and teachers.
However, in Montessori students are taught to be more independent and enjoy the learning process. Montessori offers a completely different alternative, from learning styles, learning methods, to learning philosophies.
Meanwhile, regular schools teach children all the subjects required by the curriculum. Regular schools tend to make children inevitably understand all the lessons being taught.
Therefore, many parents think that Montessori is the best choice for their children's preschool education, especially for their child's early years of learning.
That's why it's important for parents to know the difference between preschool vs Montessori so that they can decide which is best for their child's education.
If preschool is only for children aged 2-4 years, learning in Montessori begins when the children are still toddlers and can continue until the age of 18 years. This includes elementary, middle, and high school levels. It all depends on each school.
At its core, the Montessori educational method offers a learning environment that is child-centred and not teacher-centred. The teacher's role is not only to deliver school lessons, but also to guide students to discover their potential through challenging experiences to deal with.
It aims so that students can develop all aspects of the psyche, ranging from spiritual, emotional, and intellectual. That way, they are expected to grow into individuals who are knowledgeable and have good social intelligence.
Preschool vs Montessori
The preschool curriculum usually teaches children to understand letters and sounds, recognize colors, shapes, and objects, and most importantly, socialize.
Preschool students are taught how important it is to share, cooperate, wait their turn with friends, or obey simple rules such as tidying up toys after playing.
The Montessori educational method teaches that each child learns in his own way. That way they can learn social skills, daily life skills, mathematics, physical language, and other traditional arts to the fullest.
Children are also sought to interact with other people of different ages. The goal is to create an environment where students who are easier to learn from children of older age, in addition, children who are older have the opportunity to lead the younger ones.
However, the Montessori education method does have a relatively more expensive price. This is because the Montessori program designed all aspects of its educational environment specifically for preschool-aged children who are indeed in a period of curiosity.
The Montessori educational method encourages children to freely explore what they want.
Preschool vs Montessori doesn't actually have a winner, both offer good educational methods. Therefore, to determine which method is the right choice, it is important for you to conduct a direct survey of both. In essence, all the best for the children, yes, parents!